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A listing of archived editions

In spring 2015, we retired our Parent Times web site, but we've kept an archive of articles posted there. They can be accessed via the links below.

We continue to keep you informed about things happening on campus via our monthly Parent Times email newsletter. And we send a newsy print edition of Parent Times three times a year. If you'd like us to add you to the Parent Times email list, send a note to us at parent-times@uiowa.edu.

Two University of Iowa parents were the center of attention during the Family Weekend game day breakfast and at halftime of the Hawkeye football game, when they were honored as UI’s Mom and Dad of the Year. More...

From an On Iowa! event at Kinnick Stadium to a party at the president’s residence, and from job and food fairs to cultural center open houses, the university organized a variety of activities as the fall semester was underway to make sure the new academic year got off to a good start. More...

Moving a child to college is a big transition for everyone. To help ease what’s sure to a busy and emotional day, we asked parents and UI staff members to offer words of wisdom to the parents of this year’s incoming class. Read what they had to say.

Each year during Family Weekend, the university shines a spotlight on two of the many outstanding parents who support their sons and daughters as students at the University of Iowa through the annual Mom and Dad of the Year awards. Read about this year's recipients.Iowa through the annual Mom and Dad of the Year awards. More...

Nearly two years ago, the University of Iowa started a new program offering free academic support for all undergraduates. SWAT—Study, Workshops, and Tutoring—includes traditional tutoring options, Supplemental Instruction sessions, and workshops designed to help students succeed both in and out of the classroom.

Iowa has created a University of Iowa Parents Facebook page to serve as an online community for parents of future, current, and former Hawkeyes. It’s a place to network and learn about what’s going on at Iowa.

Iowa's four new TILE classrooms are spurring professors to rethink how they teach. More “learning studio” than traditional classroom, the rooms lend themselves to a teaching style that engages students more actively.

Here's a little secret about community service: most volunteers get back just as much—if not more—than they give. That's especially true when those volunteers are college students eager to learn new skills, explore career options, network, and feel connected to and at home in their new communities.

Two University of Iowa parents were the center of attention Oct. 23 during the Family Weekend Gameday Breakfast and before kickoff of the Hawkeye football game, when they were honored as Iowa's Mom and Dad of the Year.

As if saying goodbye to your students isn’t stressful enough, moving their belongings can be overwhelming for parents and students alike. Parent Times offers some advice from seasoned resident assistants on how to survive the move-in experience.

When Eric Mou graduates in May, he’ll have on his résumé more than three years’ experience researching cancer. That’s because the pre-med biochemical engineering major from West Des Moines, Iowa, began looking for research opportunities during his first year at The University of Iowa.

Danica Dunbar wanted extra income her sophomore year at The University of Iowa, but she worried about the time commitment of taking on a part-time job. The senior psychology major now says she has no regrets.

Anne Talbot got her first taste of living in another country when she was in high school. After participating in a weeklong Japanese exchange program offered by her Urbandale, Iowa, high school, she was hooked. Studying abroad, she says, was always part of her college plan.

College is about more than academics; it’s a time to explore a variety of interests. With more than 400 student organizations at Iowa, there truly is something for everyone. Plus, studies show that students who engage in extracurricular activities that are not alcohol-centered are much more likely to succeed.

Mark Binning thought he had a pretty good idea of what leadership was. Still, he came to college hungry to improve his skills, and joined the pilot class of the UI Pomerantz Career Center’s Career Leadership Academy. It didn’t take him long to discover that he had a lot to learn.

Anyone who ever attended school remembers those final exam nightmares—the ones where you show up naked or realize you sat through an entire semester in the wrong class. Finals can be stressful: for many students, those test scores determine a large percentage of their grade. And finals week comes on the heels of final projects and presentations, upping the stress even more.

When American students get to know international students, they start thinking about their own views. ‘Why do I believe this? Why do I think that?’ That’s a healthy process, and it’s one of the goals of a university education—to examine values, to strengthen them, to adapt others.

University of Iowa undergraduate Holly Moriarty helped develop a pilot program on campus that recycled 17 tons of residence hall cafeteria leftovers by turning them into rich compost. As a result, the University cut down on waste, area residents got better organic materials to grow their gardens, and Moriarty earned a great grade in her Sustainable Systems... course.

The transition to college is notoriously stressful. Of course it’s hard on parents, adjusting to life with one fewer mouth to feed, schedule to keep track of, and quick morning hug good-bye. But it’s also a major transition for students, as happy as they may seem about being on their own.

The end of the first semester and winter break are in sight. Students look forward to home-cooked meals, sleeping ’til noon, and hanging out with old friends. Parents look forward to having things the way they used to be, with the entire family sitting around the dinner table once more.

The University of Iowa campus is a big place. With its approximately 29,000 students and 13,000 employees, some students may find that it’s more populous than their hometowns. And even for students from urban areas, there are adjustments to be made. Fortunately, the faculty and staff of the University are here to help.

You’ve enrolled in the College of Engineering. You arrive, settle down in an introductory course, and . . .begin to sink. What is all this language? Why can’t I figure out where the professor is heading with this material? How can I stay cool when I’m in a panic?

In June, a second Knight Commission concluded its study of intercollegiate athletics. Its report identifies major challenges but says academic institutions can still redeem both themselves and their athletic enterprises...

Now that all residence hall rooms are linked to the powerful University Ethernet network, some students are finding imaginative—and sometimes illegal—ways to take advantage of the network’s power, using their laptops and personal computers...